This is another customer favorite we can never take off our menu. It has something for everyone: a spicy red curry sauce that cuts through the richness of the salmon, a cool crisp cabbage salad for contrast, and nutty basmati rice to sop it all up. We've taught this dish in many cooking classes, and at first we wondered if it might be a little too complicated for the home cook. But we have been pleasantly surprised time and again when people come into the restaurant and tell us they make it at home. Funny thing though: they still order it when they come to Terra.
Prepare a fire in a charcoal grill or preheat a gas grill. To make the rice, preheat the oven to 350º. Wash the rice in a colander under cold running water for 1 minute, then drain well and set aside for 10 minutes. In a small ovenproof saucepan, combine the rice, butter, and water. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook over high heat until strong steam comes out from under the lid. Remove from the heat, put the pan in the oven, and bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the rice is tender and all the water is absorbed. Set aside and keep warm.
To start the salad, combine the cabbage, cucumber, cilantro, and mint in a medium bowl, and toss well. Cover and refrigerate. To make the sauce, in a medium saucepan over a medium heat, heat the peanut oil and sauté the garlic and ginger until the garlic is lightly browned. Remove the pan from the heat and add the coriander seeds, curry powder, curry paste, paprika, and cumin. Decrease the heat to low and sauté for about 2 minutes to release the oils and flavors; be careful not to burn the mixture. Stir in the coconut milk, tomato puree, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Increase the heat, bring the sauce almost to a boil, and remove from the heat. (Don't let the sauce boil, or the sauce will separate). Keep warm or reheat gently before serving.
Meanwhile, to cook the salmon, brush the fillets with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the fillets for about 2 1/2 minutes per side for medium rare, or until browned on the outside but still slightly translucent in the center. Or, heat a grill pan or skillet over high heat until very hot and cook the fillets for about 2 1/2 minutes per side for medium rare, or until browned on the outside but still slightly translucent in the center.
To finish the salad, toss the cabbage mixture with the soy sauce and rice vinegar in a large bowl.
To serve, place about 1/2 cup rice in the center of each of 4 warmed plates. Ladle 1/2 cup sauce around the rice, then place a fillet on top of the rice. Top each fillet with a tall mound of the cabbage salad. Sprinkle the sauce with the peanuts.